I can't sleep. Face down on the bed, holding a pillow over my head, I am doing everything I can think of to force myself into sleeping. Tomorrow is the big day, my 18th birthday, and I can't tell if I am more excited or terrified for what is going to happen. There will be a grand celebration, and all of the royalty of Ooo is expected to be in attendance. There will be a feast, the crowning ceremony, and lastly a ball. It will be a long and strenuous day... which is why I would really appreciate being able to get a good night's rest beforehand. Alas, it doesn't seem like this is going to happen.
Sighing, I throw the pillow across the room and kick the blanket off of my feet before rolling over and swinging my legs off the side of the bed. If I can't sleep, I might as well try to get some work done. I look up at the open window and notice the chill in the air as I watch the curtains billow inward from the cool winds outside. I walk over to the window and shut it, leaving it unlocked, and slowly trudge over to my desk. Neatly stacked there, in folders labeled 'incoming' and 'outgoing', are various Candy Kingdom doctrines and other paperwork that either needed or still need my attention. I bypass them, however, and pull a small notebook out from the first drawer – in it are my various equations, projects, all things scientific and mathematical that I am trying my hardest to take care of in my spare time.
Spare time. What a joke.
An hour or so must have passed before I fell asleep, finally, only to be woken up a short time later by the early morning castle staff waking up and beginning their rounds through the corridors. It is early, far too early for the sun to be up, and I am reluctant to open my eyes. When I do, however, face flat down on my desk in a puddle of my own drool (lovely), I see a small envelope perched neatly against my 'incoming' papers stack. It is blank, no writing of any kind. I assume, of course, that one of the early morning maids or perhaps even Peppermint Butler snuck into my bedchambers during the short time I was asleep and left a birthday card for me. Smiling, I sit up and wipe my face with the back of my sleeve, then grab the note. I remove the card from the envelope – it is simple, no words like the envelope, and has a picture of a strawberry on the cover. Intrigued, I slowly open the card. And regret it almost instantaneously. I drop it to the desk where it falls open and quickly look over to the once-closed window, the curtains once again billowing inward with the cools winds from the grasslands. Shakingly, nervously, I fall back into the chair and pick the note up one more time, to be positive that I read it correctly the first time. There, sprawled hastily in pen on the inside cover, is Happy Birthday Bonnibel. Signed, just as hastily, with a simple yet oh-so-familiar M.
Resisting the urge to perform every scientific test I can think of on the letter in an attempt to learn anything I can about it's whereabouts, I immediately (once I regain my composure and steady my breathing, that is) call for Peppermint Butler. Shortly, right on time, there are three small knocks on my door.
"You may come in, Peppermint."
Slowly, the door opens and in walks my dutiful assistant, Peppermint Butler, in his signature blue suit. In his hands he has a beautiful bouquet of light pink roses, which he sets down on the desk in front of me.
"Good morning, your majesty. These are from Ice King, I believe."
Flat faced, I eye them up and down. On any other day I would have demanded they be thrown out. Then burnt. But today, I will accept the flowers. I have much bigger matters on my plate today.
"They are lovely. Thank you Peppermint. Now, I have a small favor of you to ask. And it is indeed a job for only you and the Banana Guards to know about, do you understand?"
He nods, and knowing I can trust him more than anyone, I continue.
"It seems that Marceline, the queen of the vampires, has at some point very recently returned to Ooo. I need the Banana Guards, through your direction of course, to investigate this matter."
Peppermint looks at me sternly, him being the only person to be aware of what happened so long ago between Marceline and myself. I am sure he has not forgotten the many nights he was awoken by my cries, the many times he held my hand, the hours spent listening to all the things I wish that I could say to her in person. To this day, he will unlock my window if one of the maids or guards locks it.
"Do you think that is a good idea, Princess?"
"Yes", I say while nodding, probably more to convince myself than to convince him. "I do not want any unexpected surprises tonight. The Banana Guards are to find her, and report back to me with their findings."
"And this is for the good of the kingdom, my lady?"
Looking down, I fiddle with the papers on my desk. I bite the inside of my lip and take a deep breath before once again steadying and looking up to meet his gaze.
"It is for the good of myself. And I would do no more to hurt myself than I would to hurt my kingdom. I have learned that lesson already."
The remainder of the day, despite my exhaustion, frustration, and high emotions, went off without a hitch. The Banana Guards were busy with the task I had charged them via Peppermint Butler, which freed me up from worrying so grossly about the whereabouts of a certain vampire. I spent the remainder of my morning in the royal garden enjoying tea and chatter with Lady Rainicorn, then to the basement of the castle where my lab is located to work on whatever I could get done before the evening's festivities. Time dipped by slowly, painfully slow, and it seemed like an eternity had passed before a guard had come into my lab to inform me that Peppermint Butler was awaiting my arrival in my bedchambers to help me prepare for the celebration.
I traveled quickly up the steps that led to the basement and through the castle's corridors, thinking that if Peppermint Butler was waiting for me it had to be with the news and discoveries he and the Banana Guards had made. Unfortunately, he had little to tell me – Marceline had indeed returned to Ooo very recently, and has been causing her typical brand of chaos through the grasslands since her return.
"She evicted your friends, Finn the human and Jake the dog, from their treehouse, only to end up residing in a small house located in a cave not far from the castle. The guards traveled there, but found that she was not there."
Brows furrowed, I had more questions than I could voice. Deciding not to voice any of them at all, I simply nodded my head, urging Peppermint Butler to continue. However, he shuffled awkwardly on his feet and twiddled his tiny thumbs. Realizing that he had nothing more to share, I sighed and bowed my head.
"Thank you Peppermint. I appreciate your hard work and diligence. If you do not mind, I suppose I should prepare for tonight's celebration."
Looking up at him and smiling, though I can feel that it does not reach my eyes, I see him smile sadly back at me. He bows and turns to leave, but stops just before crossing the threshold and turns to me.
"Happy birthday, Princess."
